Convertible vehicle-body



H. H. POOLE.

CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE BODY.

APPLICATION FILED 032.31. 1919.

- 1,367,669, Patented Feb. 8,1921.

f/amer If Pools, 7 Snuewtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOMER H. POOLE, OF PARSONS, KANSAS. ASSIGNOLR, 0F ONE-HALF TO SIDNEY E;

' GLOYD, OF PARSONS, KANSAS.

CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE-BODY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed December 31, 1919. Serial No. 348,565.

To all whom it may concern .t

Be it known that I, HOMER H. PooLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parsons in the county of Labette and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Vehicle- Bodies, of which the following is a, specification.

My invention relates, tov improvements in vehicle bodies, adapted for use in connection with motor trucks. and farm and other wagons, whereby I am enabled to readly convert the body into a tight receptacle or box for conveying grainfand the like,'or into a, flat platform for hauling hay, fodder or other loose material. In the increased use of motor trucks particularly, as is understood, they are renderedmore eiiicient when the bodies thereof maybe arranged or adjusted for various purposes, and my object is to render such structures quickly and simply convertible, as hereinabove indicated, 50 that in each changed condition the parts thereof will remain in positively fixed position without liability of disarrangement, all as will be hereinafter more. particularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part hereof, Figure 1 is a vehicle body in perspective showing my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 an elevation of one of the brace rods and anchoring members which I employ; Fig. 3 a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 4 is a view showing said parts in collapsed position.

In said drawing, the portions marked, 5, indicate my improved sill, which is preferably of a compound character to embody a guideway or groove, and is composed of any suitable material for the purpose. Sev eral. of such sillsare employed without limit as to the number in accordance with the size of the body to which they are applied, and as indicated in Fig. 1, they may com use two lonigtudinally spaced members, 6, l, or, as will be understood, they may be made of a single channeled structure, and positioned beneath the floor 8, of the bed for supporting the same. it will be understood, of course, that said bed is provided with forward and rear end portions, 9, 10, or otherwise, of any desired character. To the side walls, 12, of the body I secure a series of brace-rods, 13, terminating in a preferably curved end, 14, which rods are mounted in ing part thereof, is an anchoring member,

17, which rod and member constitute ineffecta hinge, said anchor also being seated in the guideway in sill members 6, 7

When arranging the elements. of a vehicle body to produce a tight box-like formation, the side wall '12 is preferably placed upon the sills 5 in the position indicated inFigl 4 with the hinge members 13, 17, collapsed,

in whichv position they are inserted into the guideway 5 substantially as indicated, for

illustration, between the sill members 6, 7, the curved or hooked end 14 of the brace 13" (indicated in dotted lines) being passed over a cross-pin, 18, the anchor member 17 passing below said pin and being retained in horizontal position by the end clip, 20, said clip embodying an eccentric formation, as 21, for a purpose to be explained. When so arranged said side wall 12 is raised to the position indicated in Fig. 3, where it will be seen that it is standing upon the floor 8 of the bed, which operation causes the hooked end 14 of rod 13 to automatically catch about pin 18. When this is accomplished, anchor rod 17 is forced outwardly, its lower end passing through the eccentric portion 21 of clip 20 to the outer end of the latter, and, as said lower end of the anchor impinges against said clip, there is a binding action between these members by'whi'ch said anchor 17 is retained in the position indi cated in Fig. 8. However, as a further means of securityin maintaining said parts in positively fixed position, I mayemploya pin, as 22, carried by a chain, as 22', which passes through sill 5 and said anchor 17, but it will be understood that any suitable means may be employed for retaining said anchor in its outer position other than said clip and pin. When thus positioned said wall is positively retained in its upright position indicated in Fig. 3, so that the assemblage of the ordinary two side walls in connection with the forward and rear ends employed in vehicle bodies results in a rigidly retained tight compartment.

When the vehicle is desired for embodying an open platform arrangement, the anchor' 17 is released and forced inwardly through the guideway in the sill toward rod 18, when the side walls 12 can be brought to the position indicatedin Fig. l, and tree to be slided back and forth on the sills, but in order to prevent material displacement thereof, and insure a tight fit between it and the floor 8, I provide means lor'securing the same in, locked position, that illustrated being the hole, 23, which registers with a similar hole, in the sill 5, through which the pin 22 may be inserted for holding said walls in fixed position horizontally to the floor 8, as indicated in Fig. 4, where it will be seen in dotted lines that the hinge members 13 and 17 extend under the floor 8 and act as levers thereagainst for maintaining the Wall 12 in stable position. W hen such adjustment has been made it will be readily understood that pocket stake 15 is in horizontal position so that an ordinary stake may be inserted therein when sucharrangement is desired. It will be seen also that the sills 5 project beyond each side of the 'floor so that when the walls 12 are let down into platform position, ample support is provided therefor by the sills to insure that a strong and fixed broad platform is obtained by means of the mechanisms cooperating with said sills for rigidly locking said walls in position.

' I am aware that convertible bodies for vehicles have been proposed, which I do not claim broadly, my improvements relating more particularly to the sills substantially of the character disclosed in connection with the combined hinge braces and walls, which accomplish the double purpose of maintaining the walls of the vehicle in vertical and horizontal positions as indicated, and by which such body may be readily converted for the uses stated.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a convertible vehicle body, a sill embodying a guideway, a wall, a hinge secured to said wall for supporting the same in position, said'hinge being collapsible and nesting in said sill when said Wall is in horizontal position, and means for retaining said hinge in fixed position.

2. In a convertible vehicle body, a floor, a sill embodying a guide-way projecting at opposite sides of said floor, a wall adapted to be mounted upon said floor,

a hinge fixedly secured to said wall and movably mounted in said sill, and means for fixedly securing said hinge to rigidly support said wall in upright position and for releasing said hinge to permit collapsion thereof to position said wall in horizontal relation to'said floor.

3. In a convertible vehicle body, a floor, a Slll embodying a guldeway for support in said floor a swin 'in wall a oollaosib 7 Z3 87 L thereon, a Wall adapted to be mounted vertically upon and horizontally alongside said floor, a brace secured to said Wall and having a locking end, means in said sill with which said brace engages, an anchor pivotally connected to said brace adapted to swing inwardly and outwardly in relation to said sill, and means on said sill for securing said anchor in fixed position when said wall is in upright position and releasing the same when said wall is lowered to horizontal position in relation to said floor.

5. In a convertible vehicle body having a floor and walls, a sill embodying a guidewayfor supporting said floor, a hinge comprising a brace secured to said wall and a swinging anchor member connected thereto, said hinge being adapted to be retained within said guide-way and means in said sill for frictionally engaging the ends of said anchor when said wall is in upright position and whereby said anchor may, be forced inwardly to collapse said hinge and permit said wall to be placed in horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

HOMER H. POOLE. 

